


(Not so) Sweets for the Sweet

by smithy_of_words



Category: Mass Effect
Genre: F/F, Hot Chocolate, Post-Ending, Recovery
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2014-12-19
Updated: 2014-12-19
Packaged: 2018-03-02 04:03:39
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,387
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/2798846
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/smithy_of_words/pseuds/smithy_of_words
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Shepard makes the decision to destroy the Reapers once and for all.<br/>Jack brings her a special present to improve her time in the hospital.<br/>(now updated with formatting changes)</p>
            </blockquote>





	(Not so) Sweets for the Sweet

**Author's Note:**

  * For [JackSubjectZero](https://archiveofourown.org/users/JackSubjectZero/gifts).



It was Hell.

  
If Ashley had lived to see Earth burn, it's what she would have called it.  
Shepard never held much stock in what she saw as the fairy-tales of Old Earth, but seeing the Reapers tear London--and then the rest of the world--apart...it was like Hell was manifesting on Earth before her very eyes.  
So much death. So many people trapped and burning. Entire cities turned to dust and ash.

  
And then confronting the Illusive Man with Anderson, it seemed as though there might be an end--a way to finish the bloodshed.  
And there was.  
Only this way too required more fire and blood--Shepard's own blood, not to mention body and soul.  
One final sacrifice after so much.  
The Reapers would be destroyed, the galaxy (or what remained) saved, and peace would return.

  
Her only regret was never seeing her family again.  
Not her mother, a distant figure who was like a ghost, even as she lived--her crew;  
Tali, Garrus, Joker, Liara, Kaidan, EDI, Thane--the late assassin, even Cortez...and _her_.  
Jack--her own permanently pissed-off paramour.

  
Shepard recalled their last conversation.  
"Don't get killed, dumbass! When this over, I'm getting laid."

  
She remembered and grimaced. Not being able to keep that promise would hurt more than anything.  
But this was for her. For everyone. Without an end, there would be no peace.

  
So, she walked forward through the fire, gritting her teeth and firing her sidearm.  
An end once and for all.

  
The final blast threw her backward off her feet.  
And then there was darkness. Nothing.

  
\---

  
When she awoke, to say she was surprised to be alive would be an understatement.  
Granted, she wasn't comfortable at all. Being pinned under slabs of broken concrete, metal, and glass is not comfortable.  
Shepard was barely conscious, but noticed the stench of smoke still hung in the air, bitter, and burning her nose as she tried to suck in what precious oxygen she could.  
Being trapped under concrete, metal, and glass also made breathing very hard.  
She took a few breaths, and then the darkness consumed her again.

  
She didn't realize that two hours later, search and rescue would find a crushed form near the wreckage of the Crucible.

  
A young man called out.  
"Another one!...Dead! No...wait. Picking up limited vitals!"

  
Then a medic came.  
Then a whole team of medics.  
Had Shepard been awake, she would have hated how much fuss was being made over her, when other soldiers were still suffering and in need.  
But being the savior of the galaxy has its perks--like getting air-lifted to the closest hospital and given the best care available (from what supplies were left).

  
\---

  
When she finally awoke, things seemed to be buzzing.  
Everything was soft and hazy, like floating on a cloud might feel.  
Doctors and nurses were crowded around her, and it sounded like they were talking, but things were so muffled, Shepard could only make out different tones, not words.  
Doctors always sounded the same, very monotone and clinical--dispassionate.

  
But then the doors must have burst open, because they all turned to look at someone entering.  
And the voices were very much not dispassionate.

  
Shepard imagined what they were saying. Probably something like, "Get out! Visitors aren't allowed in here. It's a clean room."  
Something medically...she was honestly too drugged with painkillers to put too much thought into it.

  
Jack stormed into the room, hands glowing blue with her biotics flaring, threatening anyone in scrubs to even try to throw her out.

  
"Shepard! Shit, it is you!," is what she would have heard.

  
Jack growled at the staff, her teeth flashing in a snarl, ready to bite someone's head off.  
Her fucking girlfriend was in a hospital bed, looking all smashed to Hell, and people were just standing around. Shouldn't doctors be doing something, you know, anything?

  
Shepard was still too weak to sit up, but using all her effort, she flopped her hand around, trying to beckon Jack over.  
She managed to mumble a few things that were meant to be words.  
"Hey...yuh...Ja..."

  
Jack practically sprinted over, restraining herself. What she wanted to do was grab Shepard by the arms, kiss her until her lips bruised, and not let her out of her sight.  
What she did was brush some of the hair from Shepard's eyes, wiping at her eyes as tears threatened to fall on Shepard's swollen and bloodied face.  
Her voice, usually so brash and strong, came out all wobbly and broken.  
"Shit, Shepard! Shit. Shitfuckshit. Are you okay? Sorry, stupid question, 'course you're not. Just..."  
She leaned forward and tried to hug Shepard as softly as possible, "Fuck, chica. You trying to kill me?"

  
Shepard made sort of a gurgling noise that was like a laugh and a snort.  
(It turns out, tears and snot getting caught under bandages makes kind of a gross sound. But it was all she could do.)

  
The medical staff looked warily at the two. Usually visitors aren't allowed for this very reason--hugging people with broken bones and still-open wounds is not conducive to healing.  
But the biotic seemed to be being gentle--just sitting on the edge of the cot now, stroking Shepard's arm and sniffling--so, all but a few doctors and nurses went to look in on other patients.

  
After weeks of Hell, it was good to finally see some happiness.

  
\---

  
A bit over a week later, Shepard was able to sit up with a few pillows behind her. She could speak short sentences, but still got winded easily.  
The doctors had been reducing the amount of pain-meds a bit every few days, so Shepard was a bit grumpy. Still, she was alive and well against all odds, so she made an effort to smile softly and mutter her thanks to the staff.

  
Days went by slowly, and counting the number of ceiling tiles was only punctuated by some visitors in the afternoon.  
Kaidan, Garrus, Tali, and Jack all were in the vicinity of London for the final push forward, so they showed up most afternoons. Kaidan and Tali bought a series of massive balloons that threatened to swallow the entire clinic. Garrus convinced a shop to donate a giant teddy bear with a missing button eye.

  
Jack was absent for a few days in a row.  
Shepard wasn't surprised; everyone was so busy with basic recovery tasks and Alliance business--mostly sending out KIA and MIA notices--that it was natural that they couldn't be there to baby her all the time.  
Besides, Shepard spent a lot of her days just sleeping, so she guessed she wasn't the most entertaining host.

  
Finally, after three days of no news, Jack sauntered in, smiling like she'd won thousands of credits in a lottery.

  
"There you are," Shepard snorted, "What happened? World end or something?"

  
Jack raised an eyebrow, "Really, Shepard? You almost get your ass blown up and you pull that crap? Your comic timing was always off, I guess..."

  
Shepard shrugged, "It's true. I've always been kind of shit at jokes. Hey, any chance you could grab a candy bar or some chocolate? I'm sure someone around here's been hoarding it."

  
Jack's eyes flashed with excitement, "I can do you one better. I've got this!"  
She produced a small package from behind her back, red and yellow, with a smiling lady on it.

  
Shepard tilted her head like a confused puppy. It was no chocolate she'd ever seen.

  
Jack rolled her eyes, "Ugh, have you no respect? It's for making Mexican hot chocolate! I met my cousins last year--you know, the ones I told you about--and they introduced me to this shit. It's fucking amazing."

  
Shepard laughed, leaning forward to kiss her girlfriend's forehead like the sap she was.  
"Thanks, Jack. We'll have to try it sometime."

  
"Screw sometime! How 'bout now? I'm gonna go get some mugs. I don't care if I have to steal 'em from the cafeteria."  
Jack strutted to the door.

  
Shepard grinned like a fool, "Hey. Thanks, Jack. It really means a lot to me."

  
Jack flushed a bit, caught off guard, "Just get better soon, asshole. We still need to have a "welcome-back" make out, remember?"

  
"Love you, too."

**Author's Note:**

> I love Jack/Femshep. As much as I wish the two could've been canon, I'm thankful that there is still fic about them. But not enough! Let's write more, people.  
> This is a holiday fic for jacksubjectzero in the ME Christmas Exchange run by the Holiday Harbinger on tumblr.  
> Let's have great holidays and a fabulous New Year.  
> Here's to 2015 with (hopefully) more writing and lots of love...and high marks on my exams.  
> Note: I made a reference to a line I particularly like from Dragon Age II in this (another good Bioware game), so see if you can find that.  
> Also, in this story, Jack is latina. She discovered her heritage in her files and got to visit Earth between ME2 and ME3.


End file.
